Mail-bag fastener.



N0. 859,497. I PATBNTBD JULY 9, 1907 I. L. HOOD.

MAIL BAG FASTBNBR. APPLICATION nun 11m. 18. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nu: "owns PETER: 0a., wAsumaraN, b4 c.

PATENT OFFICE.

IRWIN L. HOOD, OF CONSTANOE, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed August 18, 1906. Serial No- 331,218.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRWIN L. HooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Constance, in the county of Boone and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a novel form of closure for. mail bags or similar receptacles, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which is extremely simple in its construction and in which the various elements mutually cooperate to form a strong lock.

In general the closure comprises two plates secured to opposite sides of the mouth of the bag, one of said plates being provided with a projection which is adapted to enter a corresponding opening in the opposite plate, and a peculiarly mounted locking'bar engaging with the projection to hold the two plates together.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sack having the closure attached thereto, the mouth of the sack being open; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the device when in a closed or locked position; Fig. 3 is ,a top plan view of the bag closure when in an open position, the guard plate being removed and the position when closed being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a side view of the plate having the locking mechanism mounted thereon; and, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the portion of the latter mentioned plate.

Corresponding and like parts'are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Located upon opposite sides of the mouth of the bag which may be of any conventional construction are the two plates 1 and 2, the former being provided with a series of inwardly projecting lugs 3 which preferably have a hooked formation as shown in the drawings. The plate 2 is formed. with a depression 4 in its outer face within which the locking mechanism is mounted, and in the present instance this depression 4 is formed by bending the central portion of the plate 2 inwardly. At the base of the depression 4 are formed the series of openings 5 through which the lugs 3 upon the opposite plate 1 are adapted to pass.

Corresponding spring members 6 are rigidly connected to the opposite ends of the two plates 1 and 2, the said spring members projecting inwardly and having their adjacent ends hinged or loosely connected as seen at 7. The outer ends of the spring members 6 are formed with the angular or offset portions 8 which are riveted or otherwise rigidly connected to the plates. With this construction, it will be apparent that when the plates 1 and 2 are brought together, the springs G will be forced inwardly and compressed and will act to again throw the plates apart when the locking mechanism is released. A locking member 9 is slidably mounted upon the base of the recess 4 and is provided with the openings 10 which are adapted to register with the before mentioned openings 5 and permit the lugs 5 to pass through both the plate 2 and the locking bar 9. In mounting the locking bar a number of Z-shaped brackets 11 are employed and a stop 12 is secured to the plate 2 to limit the sliding movement of the bar. A series of springs 13 normally hold the locking bar against the stop 12 and when in this position, the said bar is adapted to engage with the lugs 3 in such a manner as to hold the two plates 1 and 2 together and close the mouth of the sack 1. In the specific construction of the springs, it will be observed that they comprise metallic strips arranged at approximately right angles to the 1 locking bar 9 and have one end slightly enlarged and rigidly secured to the plate 2, while the oppositeend engages with the locking bar to hold the latter normally against the stop 12.

A guard member 14 is rigidly connected to the plate 2 so as to fit over the depression 4 and prevent tampering with the locking'mechanism therein. In the present instance, the guard member 14 is in the nature of a strip of angle iron, one flange of which fits over the upper portion of the plate 2 while the opposite flange is secured to the outer face of the said plate. A keyhole 15 is formed in the guard plate 14 and a corresponding notch 16 is formed in the locking bar 9. It will thus be apparent that when it is desired to unlock the bag, the same can be accomplished by inserting a key through the opening 15 to enter the notch 16 and then turning the key so as to throw the locking bar 9 away from the stop 12 and release the lugs 3. A spring member 6 will then throw the two plates 1 and 2 apart and thus open the mouth of the bag. In securing the closure to the bag, grooves 17 are formed in the lower edges of the plate 1 and the guard plate 14 and the edge of the sack is doubled upon itself and secured in these grooves. The portion of the edge of the bag 1 adjacent the springs 6 is preferably folded around the same, as is indicated in the drawings.

A hook member 20 is shown as located at each of the upper four corners of the pouch, the said hook members enabling the pouch to be readily'hung upon the usual racks, or suspended from the boxes on the side of the mail car. For the purpose of providing a means for hanging the bag from a mail crane, a ring such as indicated at 21 may be secured to the upper side of the bag closure.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a closure for mail bags and like receptacles, the combination of companion plates arranged upon opposite sides of the bag, one of said plates having its middle portion bent inward to form a depression and having an opening in the inner wall of said depression, a locking lug secured to the opposite plate and adapted to pass through the opening in the inner wall of the depressed portion of the companion plate, a lock mechanism arranged within the aforementioned depression and adapted to cooperate with the said lug to secure the plates when brought together, and inwardly foldable connecting means joining the terminal portions of the said plates and adapted to close into the spaces formed between the end portions of the plates at opposite sides of the said depression.

2. In a closure for mail bags and like receptacles, the

combination of companion plates arranged upon opposite sides of the bag, one of said plates having its metal portion bent inward to form a depression and having an opening in the inner wall of said depression, a locking lug secured to the opposite plate and adapted to pass through the opening in the inner wall of the depressed portion of the companion plate, a lock mechanism arranged within the terminal portions of said plates and adapted to close into the spaces formed between the end portions of the plates at opposite sides of the aforesaid depression, and a guard secured to the plate having a depressed portion and adapted to close the depressed portion at its top and outer side, and to extend over and close the spaces formed between the end portions of the plates receiving the inwardly foldable connections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

IRWIN L. HOOD. [L. S.]

Witnesses W. T. McNnAL, THos. MASON. 

